Erica Johnson (right), a student at Monmouth Regional High School, explains the Federal Reserve to third graders at a 2011 financial literacy carnival at Mahala F. Atchison School in Tinton Falls.

Written by

| Gannett

Paralyzed. That's how Paige Worthy feels when she thinks about budgeting her money.

"I freeze. I have no idea where to even start with this," the 29-year-old said.

Worthy has held at least six jobs since graduating from college in 2005. She lives in Chicago, where she works as a publication director at a nonprofit press association - but she plans to leave that job to do freelance content marketing starting this month. Over the past few years, she has "just scraped together," which she attributes to an unstable income and sporadic spending habits. ...